The present invention relates generally to mounting systems for electrical appliances, such as television receivers, and more particularly, to a mounting assembly for securely mounting such an appliance in a substantially non-removable manner to a support surface tray.
Color and stereo television receivers and monitors are a necessary appliance for hotel rooms, hospital rooms and public meeting rooms. Such appliances are tempting targets for burglars and thieves. The theft of television sets is a serious problem to hotel chains and the like. Other appliances, such as personal computers, video recorders and stereo equipment are also considered valuable targets of theft by their owners and thus, the need exists for apparatus to securely mount televisions within areas such as hotel rooms and to securely mount other appliances within a home or office. Numerous such assemblies exist in the art. Some security systems, such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,268,099 issued May 19, 1991 utilize cables attached to the television or appliance which attach to a rack or the like. These cables are not a sufficient theft deterrent in that they can easily be cut with appropriate means such as a pair of cable cutters. Other security systems, such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,738,428 involve the use of locking bars or straps. Such systems are unusually bulky and may be circumvented by the use of a crowbar.
The present invention provides an alternative to such security systems and permits the relatively inexpensive secure, substantially non-removable mounting of expensive electrical appliances such as television receivers and monitors on various flat mounting surfaces such as pedestals or furniture. The present invention also provides a mounting system for such in which a base member which is capable of swiveling is secured in place to a flat support surface and the appliance is substantially non-removeably attached to the base member. In accordance with the present invention, a generally planar upper element serves as a base member and a lower element in the form of a swivel member is permanently and rotatably attached to the base member to permit the appliance to be rotated in a predesired manner after securement to the mounting assembly. A series of first and second engagement means in the form of fastening members engage the appliance by extending through the base member and into the appliance. At least one pair of the fastening members, preferably the second set, are of a security-style or tamper-proof design and are angularly offset from the remaining fastening members. The fasteners prevent removal of the appliance from the base member.
The appliance, such as a television, is secured to the base member by means of a first set of fasteners which pass through the base member and into apertures disposed on the bottom of the television. These first fasteners engage the base member and maintain the appliance in a preselected orientation on the base member. A second set of fasteners engage the television cabinet by passing through a flange portion of the base member to hold it in place thereon and substantially restrict any movement thereof on the base member in a manner which would permit disengagement of the first set of fasteners and subsequent removal of the television from the base member. The second fasteners may protrude through one or more skirt flanges which project along some of the sides of the base member and which cooperate with the first fasteners to substantially prevent movement of the television upon the base member. The base member is rotatably attached to a mounting member which is secured to a support surface by a series of fasteners. Access to such mounting member fasteners is blocked by the appliance being fixed in place on the base member.
In this regard, it is an object of the present invention to provide a secure mounting means for substantially non-removably mounting an electrical appliance, such as a television receiver, to a flat surface wherein the mounting means includes a base member which engages the appliance in a manner such that any engagement fasteners are not easily accessible from the exterior of the support member.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a mounting assembly for securely mounting a television to a flat surface in which the exterior cabinet or housing portion of the television is positioned in an initial position on a planar base member, a series of retaining fasteners project through the base member to engage the television, and wherein the base member includes one or more flanges which extend along an edge of the base member to define the extent of the final position of the television upon the base member, the television being further secured to the base member by a second set of fasteners extending through the flange and into engagement with the television to securely hold the television in its final position on the base member.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide an easily installed and relatively inexpensive security mounting system in which a substantially planar support tray includes means for engaging a television set and retaining the television set in place upon the support tray, the engagement means including in combination, a flange which defines an endwall of the support tray, and a series of apertures located on the support tray which receive a series of first fasteners that engage the television set the first fasteners being capable of installation into the television set and engaging the support tray of the installation, the first fasteners being subsequently moved into engagement with slots of the support tray, the television being held in place upon the support tray such that the first fasteners are maintained in a substantially non-accessible position by at least two second tamper-proof fasteners which extend through the support tray flanges to engage the television, the support tray having a lower swivel member rotatably connected to the support tray, the support tray permitting access to fastening hardware for the swivel member only when the television is not in place upon the support tray.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a security mounting system for a television monitor or other similar electronic device in which the television monitor has an exterior housing, the system including a lower mounting portion adapted to be attached to a planar surface, an upper support portion rotatably interconnected to the lower portion, the upper portion including means for restricting the degree of rotation of the upper portion with respect to the lower portion, the upper portion including a tray member partially defined by a flange extending away from the tray member for a portion of the perimeter thereof, the tray member having a series of apertures disposed therein which are adapted to receive first engagement means extending from the television monitor and the flange having at least one aperture angularly offset from the first engagement means which is adapted to receive a second engagement means, whereby the second engagement means prevents lateral movement of the television with respect to the support tray and the first engagement means prevents vertical movement of the television with respect to the support tray.
These and other objects, features, advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent through a consideration of the following detailed description.